Bottle filling devices



L. GROSBOIS 2,822,830 BOTTLE FILLING DEViCES Feb. 11, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 26, 1954 Unite 2,822,830 BOTTLE FILLING DEVICES Application January 26, 1954, Serial No. 406,210. Claims. (Cl. 141-59) This invention refers to bottle filling devices wherein a partial vacuum created in the storage tank prevents the liquid from flowing from the filling nozzle when the latter is not in engagement with a bottle. When the nozzle is engaged with a bottle the liquid may on the contrary flow freely from the nozzle into the bottle whch is thus progressively filled. When the bottle thus filled is removed from the nozzle, air from the outer atmosphere flows through the nozzle towards the storage tank whereby the liquid still within the nozzle is expelled into the tank.

A first object of this invention is to provide a bottle filling device of the kind above referred to wherein the height of liquid within the filled bottles may be determined by stopping the fiow of liquid from the tank into the bottles being filled when the level within the latter has reached a predetermined point, without having to rely on additional means or on the return of an excess of liquid from the bottle into the tank.

Still another object of this invention is to limit the quantity of air sucked into the storage tank, to reduce the minimum value of the negative pressure required in the tank for satisfactory operation and to avoid aeration of the liquid within the tank by air bubbles from the filling nozzle or nozzles associated therewith.

According to this invention a bottle filling device comprises a constant level storage tank within which there is maintained a substantially constant negative pressure, filling nozzles connected with this tank by the ascending branch of passageways in the form of a syphon tube and an air exhaust tube associated to each filling nozzle, the said tube having its lower end so arranged that it is engaged into the neck of the bottle being filled, while its upper end opens in the air space of the storage tank.

-It will be appreciated that with such an arrangement the negative pressure within the tank may be so adjusted that when no bottle is engaged with a given nozzle the liquid in the syphon passageway may be located below the uppermost point of the latter, whereby no flow of liquid through the nozzle can take place. When on the contrary the nozzle is in engagement with the neck of a bottle, the pressure within the latter becomes equal to the reduced pressure prevailing within the tank and liquid may freely flow through the passageway and through the nozzle, the air from the latter escaping progressively through the air exhaust tube. When the level in the bottle reaches the lower end of the air exhaust tube the air still present in the upper portion of the bottle neck may no more escape and the flow of liquid is stopped. The air therefore raises towards the uppermost point of the syphon passageway where it is so to speak entrapped and therefore prevents any further flow of liquid into the bottle. When the bottle is removed air from the outer atmosphere flows into the nozzle and thus re-establishes the level of liquid in the passageway to its original height. Air also fiows into the storage tank through the air exhaust tube and the small quantity of liquid present in this tube is thus expelled into the tank.

atetit C 2,822,830 Patented Feb. 11, 1958 ICC In the annexed drawings:

Fig. l is a diagrammatical vertical section of a filling device according to the first embodiment of this invention.

Figs. 2 to 4 are partial views similar to Fig. 1 but showing the successive steps of a filling operation. 7

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of a filling head according to the diagrammatical representation of Fig. 1.

Figs. 6 to 10 are views respectively corresponding to Figs. 1 to 5, but illustrating a second embodiment of this invention.

The device diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 1 comprises a storage tank 1 connected by a tube 2 with a blower or like machine adapted to create within tank 1 a constant negative pressure of relatively small value, for instance corresponding to some centimetres of water. The tank 1 contains the liquid with which the bottles are to be filled. This liquid may be of any kind provided it is not liable to evolve gas under the action of the reduced pressure (partial vacuum) to which it is submitted. The level A-A of this liquid within the tank remains constant and in the example illustrated this is obtained by supplying liquid to the tank by means of a pipe 3 closed by a needle valve controlled by a float 5. To the bottom of tank 1 there is fixed a downwardly opening head adapted to receive the neck of the bottle to be filled, such head being formed with a passageway in the form of a syphon extending between the tank and the portion of the head where the neck of the bottle is to be received. In the example illustrated the head comprises a lower sleeve 6 and an upper sleeve 7 of smaller diameter forming an upward extension of the former, these sleeves being connected with each other by a shoulder. A bell-shaped body 8 is disposed over the sleeves thus arranged, its lower edge being at a small distance above the bottom of tank 1. The filling head also comprises an axial air exhaust tube 9 with its lower end well below the shoulder connecting sleeves 6 and 7 while its upper end opens within tank 1 above the liquid level AA in the same.

The height of the liquid level AA within the tank and the negative pressure prevailing in the air space of the same are so determined that when no bottle is engaged into the head described the level of liquid within the bell-shaped body 8 is situated at BB above the lower edge of body 8 but below the upper edge of sleeve 7. It will be appreciated that levels AA and B-B corresponds to the negative pressure in the air space of the tank with respect to the outer atmospheric pressure. At this position of rest air con.- tinuously flows into the 9, but the blower which creates the negative pressure sucks this air and maintains the reduced pressure required. Tube 9 may be of relatively small diameter.

When the neck of a bottle is engaged into the sleeve 6 (Fig. 2) and is tightly pressed against the shoulder which connects the sleeves 6 and 7, the inner space of the filling head is isolated from the outer atmosphere.- Due to the presence of the air exhaust tube 9 the pressure within the bottle becomes equal to the reduced pressure prevailing in the air space of the tank land the difference a of Fig. 1 no more prevents liquid from rising within the bell-shaped body 8. The liquid therefore flows over the edge of sleeve 7 into the neck 10 of the bottle while-the air from the latter escapes axially through the air exhaust tube 9. The syphon is thus started.

When the bottle is filled to the desired degree the liquid level reaches the lower end of tube 9 (Fig. 3) and the exhaust of air through the latter is no more possible. The normal flow of liquid is thus stopped. The

small quantity of liquid in the upper portion of the head 1 along the walls of the flows down gently into the bottle neck while the air from the upper portion ot the bottle the difference a between tank through the air exhaust tube between the level AA and the level of .the; upper' end of sleeve 7. t

When the bottle is removed (Fig. 4) the atmospheric pressure is re-establishedwithin body .8 and within the neck 10 of the bottle. The level ofliquidjnbody ,8 is

thus returned to the horizontal plane B-B of Fig. l,

and the small quantity of liquid which was iniubefifis expelled intothe storage tank- 1. 7

It is to be remarked that duringthewwhole filling operation no air has beenallowed. to bubble through the liquid. The latter'is'not therefore unduly aerated. The final level of liquid in the bottle ineckisexactly determined by the lower end oi the air exhaust tube ,9. .The head comprises no liquid nozzle dipping into ;the bottle whereby the cross-section of the bottle neck may be fully used, which is of importance with bottles provided with necks of small diameter.

Fig. 5 shows the preferred construction of the head described. In this construction the sleeve 6 is welded to the bottom of the storage tank .1, although it could be fixed by any other means. i A lower tubular guide 11 is slidably arranged in sleeve 6, the said guide having a flaring lower end to receive the bottle neck. The outer periphery of guide 11 is provided with a longitudinal groove 1111 into which projects the end of a screw 6a screwed in the sleeve wall. The upper end of sleeve 6 receives an annular member 12 made of a plastic material such as rubber and on member 12. fits another annular member 13 which plays the role of the sleeve 7 of Fig. l. The annular member 13 is covered by the .body 8 in the form of a conical bell having a cylindrical lower portion which surrounds the sleeve 6 with a substantial intermediate annular space. ,Ribs 14 maintain the conical portion of body .8 spaced from the annular member 13. The lower edge 8a of the lower cylindrical portion of body 8 is of smaller diameter, and it fits on the sleeve 6 wherein it is fixed by a bayonet joint. Openings Sb are provided in the wall of body 8 immediately above the lower edge 8a to permit inlet of liquid into the said body. The air exhaust tube 9 is passed through the uppermost portion of body 8 where it is screwed. The lower portion of tube 9 carries a conical deflector 15 located below the annular member 13 tov prevent liquid from running along the tube.

It will be observed that the construction described permits of readily removing the parts for cleaning purposes.

In the modification of Fig. does not extend downwardly as ered by a cylindro-conical cap 16 which extends below the said body and terminates at a small distance above the bottom of the tank. This cap also extends upwardly in the form of a cylindrical sleeve 17 which surrounds the air exhaust tube 9 and terminates above the liquid level A-A in the tank, its upper end forming a calibrated annular orifice around tube 9. i

In the absence of any bottle the cap 16 is at F-F, that is between the lower edge of body 8 and the lower edge of cap 16. Air from the outer atmosphere may therefore flow into the tank through the annular passage between the cylindrical extension 17 and the tube 9 as well as through the tube 9 itself. But owing to the restricted cross-section of the annular passage the pressure within the cap 16 is substantially higher than the pressure in the air space of the tank. This difference of pressure is represented by the diiierence between the levels A-A and F-F.

When the neck ot the bottle to be filled is engaged in Fig. l, but it is covliquid level within 6 the .bellshaped body 8 in the .tank. When the level in the bottle reaches the.

lower end ofthe 'air exhaust tube 9, the flow of liquid is stopped and the level in the tube '9 rises to a height d (Fig. 8) equal to the difference between the level A-A in the .tank and the level E-a-E of the upper edge .of the upper sleeve 7.

When the bottle is removed '(Fig. 9) the outer air flows into the bottle neck and into body 8. The small quantity of liquid present in tube 9 is expelled into the tank 1. The liquid which. was in .the upper portion of the cap 16 flows down while air bubbles up through this flowing liquid and escapes through the upper end of the extension 17. The liquid level within cap 16 then returns to the position F-F of Fig. 6.

It will be appreciated that the operation of the modification described is substantially the same as in the first embodiment illustrtaed in Figs. 1 to 4. The negative pressure required is however higher since the liquid level in the .filling head. must be brought lower than in the first case. The bubbling of air through the liquid when the bottle is removed is sometimes undesirable. The flow of air into thestorage tank in the absence of a bottle is more important. This modified embodiment may however be of advantage in some cases, for instance when it is desired to feed the storage tank "from an open reservoir without any pump or the like, which requires a substantial negative pressurein the tank.

Fig. 10 illustrates the preferred construction of the filling head .of .Fig. '6. The sleeve 6, the slidable guide 11 and the. annular member 12 of rubber or other plastic material are those already described with reference to Fig. '5. Theannular member 12 supports a conical body 19 provided with a downward cylindrical extension which fits on sleeve 6 .whereon it is fixed by a bayonet joint. This body 19 is formed with a central cavity 2() opening downwardly and with passages 21 in the form of syphon tubes extending from this central cavity to the periphery of the said body. Body 19 in turn carries the outer cap '16 ofcylindro-conical shape which is spaced therefrom by ribs 16a. The lowermost ribs 16a coopcrate with coarse pitch threads provided on the periphery of body 19. Cap 116 extends upwardly in the form of the cylindrical extension or sleeve 17 and the calibrated orifice of passage is obtained by leaving a sufiiciently small annular space between extension 17 and the air exhaust tube 9 screwedthrough body 19. Here also the various parts are readily removable for cleaning or other purposes.

The body 19 may be made into two parts disposed one above the other with an intermediate space forming passages 21.

I'claim:

l. A filling device for bottles comprising a constant level storage tank in the air space of which there is maintained a substantially constant negative pressure; a filling nozzle disposed below the level of liquid within said constant level storage tank and connected with said storage tank by a passage in the form of a syphon duct having an ascending'branch opening in said tank, the height of the liquid within the tank above the horizontal plane of the lower end of said ascending branch being greater than the effective height of said ascending branch and than the hydraulic head corresponding to the negative pressure maintained in the air space of said tank, but smaller than said hydraulic head plus the efiective height of said ascending branch; and an air exhaust tube associated to said filling nozzle, said air exhaust tube having its lower end so disposed with respect to said nozzle that it is engaged into the neck of the bottle being filled while its upper end opens in the air space of said tank.

2. A filling device for bottles comprising a constant level storage tank in the air space of which there is maintained a substantially constant negative pressure; a sleeve vertically fixed to the bottom of said tank and opening through said bottom below the level of the liquid within said tank, said sleeve being adapted to receive the neck of a bottle to be filled; a sealing washer of plastic material disposed at the upper end of said sleeve, said washer having a lower inner diameter than said sleeve 'in such a manner that the upper end of the neck of the bottle being filled may bear tightly against said washer; a body mounted at the upper end of said sleeve on said washer, said body having a central cavity opening downwardly above the central hole of said washer to form a filling nozzle therewith, and said body being provided with passages opening on the one side in this cavity and on the other side on the periphery of said body at a lower level than in the cavity so as to form the ascending branches of a syphon duct between said tank and said sleeve, the height of the liquid within the tank above the horizontal plane of the lower end of said ascending branches being greater than the effective height of said ascending branches and than the hydraulic head corresponding to the negative pressure maintained in the air space of said tank, but smaller than said hydraulic head plus the effective height of said ascending branches; and an axial air exhaust tube passed vertically through said body with its upper end opening in the air space of said tank and with its lower end so disposed below said Washer that it is engaged into the neck of the bottle being filled substantially at the filling height desired for said bottle.

3. A filling device for bottles comprising a constant level storage tank in the air space of which there is maintained a substantially constant negative pressure; a sleeve vertically fixed to the bottom of said tank and opening through said bottom below the level of the liquid within said tank, said sleeve being adapted to receive the neck of a bottle to be filled; a sealing washer of plastic material disposed at the upper end of said sleeve, said washer having a lower inner diameter than said sleeve in such a manner that the upper end of the neck of the bottle being filled may bear tightly against said washer; a body mounted at the upper end of said sleeve on said washer, said body having a central cavity opening downwardly above the central hole of said washer to form a filling nozzle therewith, and said body being provided with passages opening on the one side in this cavity and on the other side on the periphery of said body at a lower level than in the cavity so as to form the ascending branches of a syphon duct between said tank and said sleeve, the height of the liquid within the tank above the horizontal plane of the lower end of said ascending branches being greater than the effective height of said ascending branches and than the hydraulic head corresponding to the negative pressure maintained in the air space of said tank, but smaller than said hydraulic head plus the effective height of said ascending branches; a covering cap disposed on said body with its lower edge below the openings of said passages on the periphery of said body, said cap communicating with the air space of said storage tank through a calibrated orifice; and an axial air exhaust tube passed vertically though said body with its upper end opening in the air space of said tank and with its lower end so 6 disposed below said washer that it is engaged into the neck of the bottle being filled substantially at the filling height desired for said bottle.

4. A filling device for bottles comprising a constant level storage tank in the air space of which there is maintained a substantially constant negative pressure; a sleeve vertically fixed to the bottom of said tank and opening through said bottom below the level of the liquid within said tank, said sleeve being adapted to receive the neck of a bottle to be filled; a sealing washer of plastic material disposed at the upper end of said sleeve, said washer having a lower inner diameter than said sleeve in such a manner that the upper end of the neck of the bottle being filled may bear tightly against said washer; a body mounted at the upper end of said sleeve on said Washer, said body having a central cavity opening downwardly above the central hole of said washer to form a filling nozzle therewith, and said body being provided with passages opening on the one side in this cavity and on the other side on the periphery of said body at a lower level than in the cavity so as to form the ascending branches of a syphon duct between said tank and said sleeve, the height of the liquid within the tank above the horizontal plane of the lower end of said ascending branches being greater than the eflfective height of said ascending branches and than the hydraulic head corresponding to the negative pressure maintained in the air space of said tank, but smaller than said hydraulic head plus the effective height of said ascending branches; a covering cap disposed on said body with its lower edge below the openings of said passages on the periphery of said body, said cap being of cylindro-conical shape and being formed with an upward axial tubular extension opening in the air space of said tank; and an axial air exhaust tube passed vertically through said body and extending through said tubular extension with a restricted clearance, the upper end of said tube opening in the air space of said tank above said tubular extension, while the lower end of said tube is so disposed below said washer that it is engaged into the neck of the bottle being filled substantially at the filling height desired for said bottle.

5. A filling device for bottles comprising a constant level storage tank in the air space of which there is maintained a substantially constant negative pressure; a filling nozzle connected with said storage tank by a passage in the form of a syphon duct having an ascending branch opening in said tank, the level of the liquid within the tank being substantially above the upper bend of said syphon duct, and said filling nozzle opening downwardly below the lower end of the ascending branch of said syphon duct Within said tank; and an air exhaust tube associated to said filling nozzle, said air exhaust tube having its lower end so disposed with respect to said nozzle that it is received within the neck of the bottle being filled while itsupper end opens in the air space of said tank.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,929,736 Fagan Oct. 10, 1933 2,364,400 Stewart et a1. Dec. 5, 1944 2,533,109 Hannover Dec. 5, 1950 2,607,521 Broadhurst Aug. 19, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 105,733 Australia Nov. 3, 1938 

